Position-finder.



PATENTED DEG. 12

H. S. CLARK.

POSITION FINDER.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.19, 1904.

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`UNTED OFFICE.

HUGH SHAW CLARK, OF ONEHUNGA, NEW ZEALAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ROBERT LOGAN, THE YOUNGER, OF DEVONPORT,

NEW ZEALAND.

POSITION-FINDER.

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Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application iiled August i9, 1904i Serial No. 221,388.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HUGH SHAW CLARK, master mariner, a subject of. His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Onehunga, in the Provincial District of Auckland and Colony of New Zealand, have invented a new and useful Improved Position-Finder for Indicating Positions on Either Land or Sea, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in position finders, particularly for coastwise vessels, yachts, and vessels in sight of fixed objects, and it can also be used for recording positions on land, the purpose of the invcntion being to provide a position-finder of simple and inexpensive construction, having no parts liable to get out of order, and requiring no special skill to operate it.

The accompanying drawings show four tigures, of Which- Figure l is a perspective view of the position finder mounted on a spindle double swung similarly to a ships compass, with a pendulum-weight within a tripod standard. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the upper portion of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner of using the position iinder or instrument on the deck of a vessel when sighting fixed objects; and Fig. t is a plan of the position-iinder proper, showing the three arms and thumb-screw.

Ordinarily the position finder will be mounted on a tripod or other suitable form of standard; but it can also be adjusted to a spindle fixed on and to the glass of a ships compass, being on the ship, vessel, or other placevwhere there is a clear view-say, for instance, from the upper deck or bridge of a vessell or from l rising ground.

The standard A has-a tripod formation, as shown in Fig. l, the legs B of which are preferably kept true to each other by the bottom ring Gand top ring D. The legs B are projected through the ring C and are screwed or otherwise secured -f thereto and have their -lower ends more or less pointed, so that the passed through this ring E and is journaled to it at right angles to the journaling of the ring E towithin the ring D, the effect of the two jonrnalings being that the spindle F can be moved in almost any direction. A pendulum-weight G is tixed to the under end of the spindle F, which weight at all times hangs plumb and keeps the spindle in an upright position, while the upper end H of the spindle is pointed and forms the center or base sight hereinafter described. The upper end of the spindle F from just above where it is journaled to the ring E has a reduced diameter and just on the edge above the shoulder J, made by this reduced diameter, a pin or lug K is let into the thinner part of the spindle F.

A hub or cylinder L is provided to lit easily over the spindle F and onto the shoulder H, a slot or recess M being formed in the lower edge of the hub or cylinder L, which fits closely over the pin or lug K, whereby the hub or cylinder L is held rigid to the spindle F. Three parallel arms N, P, and R are fitted to the hub or cylinder L by ring formations, which are made flush with the three washers O, fixed on the cylinder, one between each ring formation and one above the topmost ring formation, whereby the arms in their rotary movements will be kept in place, so that each of themthe arms N, P, and R-can be turned around the hub or cylinder, the washers being suitably stationary on the hub in any direction required. The upper end S of the hub L is outwardly screw-threaded, onto which the thumb-screw T, provided for the purpose, can be screwed tight when the arms are set in the position required, as is hereinafter described. The ends of the arms N, P, and B are turned up at right angles, and the tips or vanes V, V2, and V3 are made so that when fitted onto the spindle F they are exactly in the same plane as the point or end I, the pointed end of the spindle F.

In using the instrument before described with the object of giving eect to the purpose for which it is projected the oiiicer in charge of the vessel on which the position-finder is being used, wishing to find his exact position ott the land where his vessel is, takes as sighting-objects three stationary points on or o' the land, such as are shown on Fig. 3 of the drawings herewith and marked, respectively, W, X, and Y. Having rst loosened the thumb-screw T, he takes the central point or object X by preference and sights the same IOO over the spindle-point I and over' the point or vane V2 of the arm P. Then while the thumbscrew T is sufficiently loose he quickly brings the arm R in line with the point or object Y by bringing the spindle-point I and vane V3 in line-therewith. Having done this, he immediately brings the arm N in line with the point or object W by bringing the spindle.- point 1 and the vane V in line therewith and at once tightens the thumb-screw T so that neither of the arms can be moved from the direction given them. In pointing the arms the last object to be taken should be the one that the ship or vessel is passing quickest. The bearings having thus been taken, the hub is lifted off the shoulder .I and pin or lug K and is placed upon the chart, so that each arm is in direct line with the points or objects already taken, as above described. Then a pencil or other suitable marker is passed through the hollow space Z within the hub or cylinder L, previously fitted over the spindle, and a dot or mark is made on the chart, when the position finder or instrument is removed from the chart. This dot or mark thus made upon the chart indicates the precise position of the vessel at the time the observation was made or taken.

The position finder or instrument mounted on the standard is mainly for use upon coasters, yachts, and other small vessels when it is not convenient to have the instrument mounted upon a ships compass; but where convenient it'will be adjusted to a compass on the ship or vessel. n

With this instrument and with the charts which are usually marked as to the depth of Water anchorages may be readily found in harbors or other localities, the operation being substantially the same as above described. Anchorage-places, positions of lost anchors,

wrecks, buoys, rocks, islands, and other places or spots having been ascertained and marked on the chart, as above indicated, can always after be again located by taking fresh bearings, when the precise place or spot will be quickly ascertained. In the same manner places previously fixed on land can be freshly located and former work thus accurately checked.

Having fully described my invention, what l I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent isl. A position-finder, comprising a standard, a sight-spindle extended upward from the standard, a hub removably engaging the said spindle, means for preventing rotary movement of the hub, three outwardly-extended arms having ring formations around said hub and having' upward projections, sight-points on said upward projections, washers for keeping said ring formation in position, and means for securing the removable armsas adjusted, as specified. I

2. Aposition-finder, comprising a standard, a spindle extended upward from the standard and pointed at its end, a hub removably mounted on the spindle, means for preventing rotary movement of the hub on said spindle, the upper end of said hub having an outwardly-threaded portion, three arms extended outwardly from the hub, having ring formations around said hub, said three arms having upward extensions provided with sights brought into same plane or line of sight with pointed upper end of said spindle, washers for keeping said ring formation inposition, and thumb-screw for engaging with said th read of hub for securing said rotary arms as adjusted, as specified.

3. A position-finder, comprising the upper part of the spindle from and including the shoulder as described extended upward from and fixed to the outside center of and at right angles to the glass covering a ships compass, upper end of said spindle, a hub removably mounted on said spindle, means for preventing rotary movement of the hub on said spindle, the upper end of said hub having an outwardly-threaded portion, three arms extended outwardly from the hub, having ring formations aroundsaid hub, said three arms having upward extensions provided with sights broughtinto same plane or line of sight with pointed upper end of said spindle, washers for keeping said ring formation in position, and thumb-screw for engaging with said thread'of hub for securing said rotary arms, as adjusted as specified.

4. A position-finder comprising a center or base sight and outer sights mounted to swing relatively to the said center sight, a pendulum binnacle-support for the center sight, and a tubular hub for the outer sights, from which the outer sights l radially. extend and upon which the outer sights have independent movement, the said hub being removably fitted on the said pendulum-support below yet adjacent to the center sight.

5. The combination lwith a spindle having a base-sight at its upper end and a weight at its lower end, and a binnacle-support for the spindle, o f acylinder or hub removably mounted on the spindle below the base-sight, a lock for the cylinder or hub, arms radially extending from the hub, having independent rotary movement thereon, terminating at their free ends in upturned outer sides in the same hori- Zontal plane with the base-sight, and tension devices for the said arms.

HUGH SHAW CLARK.

Witnesses:

'GEORGE WILLIAM BAsLEY, PERCY HERBERT BAsLEY.

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